Remote control apparatus



Sept. l2. 19,33. R. A. MCCANN I REMOTE CONTROL APPARATUS Filed Nov.- 18, 1931 U @am lil/V442 ATTORNEY. Hi;

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REMOTE CONTROL APPARATUS'M e e Ronald Af McCann, Swissvale, a., assignorvtd The Union Switch & Signal Company, Swissvale, Ila., a corporation ofl Pennsylvania Application November 18, 1931 Serial No. 575,759

comms. `(C1. 24e-3y, l

t My invention relates to remote control appara- Each switch W operates a contactV which isV tus, and particularly 'to apparatus for controlling closed whenland only when the switch occupiesV railway traflic governing devices, such las track itstnormal position in which it is shown in the yswitcheairom a distant point. drawing. K 1 Y, I

One feature of my invention is the provision of A signal S governs westbound traffic move-V 60, apparatus which requires contemporaneous acments over switches W1 and W2, that is; traffic l tion by two persons for releasing a'railway track movements from right to left as shown in the f switch for manual operation. drawing. g A Y 5 QI will describe one form of apparatus embody- A `track 'circuit repeater relay, designatedl by ing-my invention, and will then point out the novthe reference character TF2, is controlledlbyfront el features thereof in claims. y vr`contacts *ciV trackrelays R2. R3, R4 and R5. A -The accompanyingdrawing is aldiagrammatic second track circuitrepeater relay TF1 vis con- View showing'one form of apparatus embodying trolled by iront contacts ci relays R1 and TF2. my invention, t Each of the lock magnets dis controlled .by

Referring to the drawing; the reference char-` contact 19 of thecorresponding lever V, byt-front 0, acters '1 and 1a designate the rails of a stretch contacts 20 and21 of aelay Whichis designated Y of railway track which includes switches W1 by the reference character Ltwith Ya correspondand W2 for connecting stretch Y with passing siding exponent, and by either, af front contact 22 ings Z1-and Z2, respectively. Rails 1 andia of of the associated"v relay TP or` by a back contact stretch Y are divided by means of insulated 23 of an associated track relay R. t Y joints 2 into Vsections A-B, B-C, etc. Each of, Each of the relays L1and L2. is V of the type e t these track sections is provided with a track ci-r-` having a pick-up winding 2 4 and a holdingwindcuit including a battery 3 connected across the ing 25. The pick-up circuits for relays L4 -are rails adjacent one end of the section, anda relay controlled by manually operable devices which l designated by the reference-character R with a are here shown as push buttons designated by?? distinguishing exponent and connected across the the reference character P Withdstinguishing exrails adjacent theopposite end of the section. ponents.` The stick circuit for each on thesev V Each of the switches W may be operatedby relays is controlledby contact 19 ofthe associated any suitable manually operable mechanism, not .lever V. Boththe pick-up andstick circuits for shown in the drawing. A'lock'bar b `is rigidly serelays L .are controlled by a door contact f. e cured to eachI of the switches -W1 and W2 forl Each of the push buttons P? and P3 is provided engagement with a dog a, by meansofgwhich the with a normallyl open` contact which mayy be switchi may be locked in its normal position in closed manually, andwhich will remain closed which it is shown in the drawing. Each dog a only when manually held in that condition. Push is actuated by means of a manually operable Vbutton P1 .is provided with a normally closed 90 lever which is designated by the reference charcontactand Withanormally open contact. The Vacter V with a distinguishing exponent, 'and normally closed contact will remain closed vexwhich has normaland reverse positions .desig- VAcept; when push button P1-is.manuallyoperated K nated by the reference characters n and 1,V reto openthis contacter toclose its back contact. spectively. Movement of each lever Vis con- The back contact of push blltOn P1 Willre- '5' trolled by a-lock magnet .d having anarmature mbnClOSedonly when manually held in thisv provided with a dog for engagement with a condition. VThesecharia,cteristics of the rseveral notch 2'? of a locking segment g. The armature push buttons are'uutfated by a' biasing Spring a5A f each magnet d also operates a back contact 11. 40 'applied 'to button Pzi Each lever V andits magnetd are enclosed in t fAn" indication relay K is controlled by each 1.00 E e ment s r1 1dl connected with its lever Valci levergll opgerares a contact 19 which is of 'the' smi-'Ch Contacts 10 by each of the back 1 t t f t `contacts L11 of magnets d, and also by the back closed lwhen and only when the lever 1s 1n its Contact 12 of eachof therelays L Relay Kean normal position.

thereforebe energized only when-both switches W are in the normal position, and whenboth a Case. having a dQOr Whmh Operates a Contact. lockmagnets d and both relaysL are deenergized. designated by the reference Character f' With a An indication device, whichishere shown as corresponding exponent. VEach of the contacts j4 tant indicator 19,1119 e, .is Com-,routed by krelay K' is closed when and only whenthe corresponding so as to indicate the-condition Vof relay K.- t t dooris Open. l Push button -P3,relay. K, and indicator lampe 110 may be located. at some remote point, such for example as a despatchers omce.` r

A signal `relay l-I is controlledby a front conn tact of relay K, aswell as by front contacts lof kso relays R1, R2 and R3. Relay l-, when energized,

causes the arm'of signal S to be operated to the caution position.` W z, Y l

As shown in the drawing', all parts are m the normal condition, that is, eachof the track secl tions is unoccupied, each or theswitches W isV in its normal position, and each'or the push but#A tons P is in its normalv position. fWth the track sections unoccupied, eachof the-relays. R is en-v ergized, causing the relaysr'lf,1 and '1"12, t0 .be energized. The circuiticr relay TP2-passesrom l.

terminal x of a source of current not shown in` the drawing, through iront contact Lof-relay R5, contact 5 of relay R4, contact 6 of relay R3, contact 7 of relay R2, and the winding of relay TF2 to terminal o of Athe same source of current.

The circuit forrelay TPlpasses from terminal through contact S 'of relay TF2, contact 9 of relay j R1, andthe winding of Vrelay TR1 Ato. terminal o. On account ci switches W beingvin Vthe normal position, land on account or" push buttonsl3 being in theirlnormal-positions',lrelay K is energized` by a circuit`r passing from terminal cc, throughf'contact l0 of switch W2, Contact ll of magnet d for switch W2, contact l2-of relay L2, contact-l0 of switch W 1, contact ll of magnet d orswitch W1, contact l2 of relay L1, andthe winding of relay K to terminal o. With relayK energized, indicator lampe is lighted by its circuit-through contact' 13 of relay K. ,Also on account of relay K-being energized and onaccount of thetrack sections being unoccupied, signal-relay H is energized by Va .circuit passing L from terminal 11:,

through contact 1li of relay K, Ycontact l5 of relay n R1, 'contact 16 of relay R2, contact 17 of relay R3, and the winding or relay H to terminal of With relay 'I-Iv energized, the arm `of signals is held in its cautionposition by a circuit passing through f contact 18 of relay H,

I will now assurnethatv the 'despatcher desires to permit a train to pass over. switch W2 into siding-Z2. Accordingly, the despatcher will momentarily depress push button-P3 while a trainman is depressing push button P2 after having opened the door of the case associated with W2 thereby closing contact f2. Y

The pick-up Awinding for relayL2 will therefore 'be ,energized by ra circuit passing from terminal w, through thecontact of push button P3, the front contact or pushbuttonPl,v the contact of Vpush button P2, winding 2401 relay. L2, and con- Upon Vthe energization'foi relay' L2, a stick circuit'iscompleted'for vthis relay, l, `passing from terminal :zg-through contact 19 of lever V2, contact 20 of relay` L2, winding -25 of tact f2 to terminal o.

relay L2, and' door contact. f2 to terminal o. Relay L2, upon becoming energized, opens its back contact 12, therebyinterrupting thecircuit for relay K.Y Relayv K 'becoming 'deenergized the contact 13 of this relay'will'open, and eitinguishI r indicator lamp/e, thus indicating to thev despatoh-v er'the energization of relay L2. The ,deenergizael tion of relay K also causesits contact 14 toopen in the circuit for relay H, which is, liov've'ver,` already open on 'account of relay R2 being deenergized because the train is in'rrsection B-C preparatory to moving over switch W2 reversed.

. Relay R2k lbeing deenergized,Y magnet d for switch W2 will -now be ienergized by a circuit passing from terminal throughcontact 190i lever V2, contacts k20 and-2l of relay L2, contact 11 of magnet d.v

switch 23 of' rel-'ay R2, andthe winding of magnet dito terminal o. Theenergization of magnet d opens its contact 11 in the circuit for relay K, which is, however, already open at contact l2 of relay L2. With'magnet d energized, dog 26 will be out of engagement with knotch 27 of 1the corresponding segment, and hence the train'man can move leverwV`2 to-withdraw dog a from bar b. Thetrainman can then proceed to reverse switch W2- The reversal of switch W2 opens its contact 10 in the circuit for relay K, which is, however, `already'open at contact l2 or relay L2 and at contact It, after the train has moved into siding Z2 and has cleared track section C-D, permitting relay R3 to become energized, the trainrnan returns switch W2 to its normal position and, further, as-

suming that the other track sections shown in the` drawing are all unoccupied, the apparatus will be returned toits normal condition previously described, provided the door of the casingV has been closed. Y Y Al.willnow-'assume that afterwards the trainis ready to leave siding Z2 and to continue its movement' westward. The trainman will-notify-the sov despatcher by .some suitable means, such-for example as a telephone, that the train is ready,-and

the despatcher will again momentarily depress push button P3 while the .trainman depresses push button P2 and! opens the door of the casing, for

causing relay'L2 to again become energized. Relay'L2,.upo`n becoming energized, causes .magnet dito become energizedy by'aV circuit which is the same as thecircuit previously traced, except for including-.a branch path through front contact 22 of relay T122, .around contact 23 of .relay R2. TheV indicator lampe will function as before to .indicate to the despatcher when relay L2 becomes energized. When magnetl d has becomeenergized, the trainman will again-reverseswitch' W2 nection 'with switch W2, except that the trainman push button P2 will depress instead -of depressing -push button P1.' Y

1I 'have described for a few typical traflic move'- ments the operation oftheapparatus embodying my invention. From these descriptions and-'from v the'` accompanying drawing, the operation of the apparatus for every other possibletraiic movement .will be readily vunderstoodfwithout furtherl explanation. 1

Apparatus embodying, mylvinvention requires contemporaneousaction by the despatcher-andby a trainman to release a switchV for manual operation. 'The despatcher cannot therefore store the control of the switch without the cooperation of a trainrnan.` When a relayL has become' en'- ergized, it will remain energized only if'thed'oor -of thev corresponding one of the cases'containing levers V1 or A,V2 Vis left open. As longv as aA relay L remains energized, signal Sewill indicate stop vand indicator lamp e-will be extinguishedjhence lthe despatcher Vwill know at all times lwhether-the apparatus is in condition fork releasing the switch W1 or W2, and signal S will. give similar information to trainmen.

Although I have herein shown and described only one form of apparatus embodying my invention, it is understood that various changesand modications may be made therein within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the' spirit and scope of my invention.

a stick circuitV one -ofwhich is controlled by said push button contacts in seriesand the other of which is controlled by said lever, and meanscontrolled by said relay forl controlling said lock.

2. In combination, a railway track switch, a lever for controlling said switch, an electric lock magnet, means controlled by said lock magnet for controlling said lever, a manually operable push button contact, a'second manually operable push button contact located at a point remote from said first push button contact, a stick relay having a'pick-up and a stick circuit one of which is controlled by said push button'contacts in seriesand the other of which is controlled by said lever, means for energizing lsaid lock magnet only when said relay isv energized, a signal governing traiiic movements over saidfswitch, and means for energizingv said signal only when said relay is deenergized.

3. In combination, a railway traffic governing device, a normally open contact which is manually operable to its closed position and which will remain closed only when manually held inthat condition, a second nrmally'open contact 1ocated ata point remote fromsaid rst contact and which is also manually operable to its closed position and which will remain closed only when manually held in that condition,` a circuit controller having a normally open contact and a nor" mally closed contact and which is Aarranged to contact and the normally open 'contact ofy said circuit controller in series for controlling 'said 'traic' governingV device, a second railway traic governing device, and ,a circuit including said first and second contacts and the normally closed contact of Vsaid vcircuit controller in series for controlling said second traic governing device.

' RONALD A. MCCANN.

retain said contacts in these conditions except when manually held in a position for opening the normally closed contact, or for closing the nor-V. mally open'co'ntacu-a circuit including said rst' 

